the
weapons which the enemy had let fall as he fled; somewhat, for that we
marched with such speed, but more for that they lay so thick and cross
one on the other.

Being returned, we made our stand near the midst of the Market Place,
where a tree groweth hard by the Cross; whence our Captain sent some of
our men to stay the ringing of the alarm bell, which had continued all
this while: but the church being very strongly built and fast shut,
they could not without firing (which our Captain forbade) get into the
steeple where the bell rung.

In the meantime, our Captain having taken two or three Spaniards in
their flight, commanded them to shew him the Governor's House, where he
understood was the ordinary place of unlading the moiles [mules] of all
the treasure which came from Panama by the King's appointment. Although
the silver only was kept there; the gold, pearl, and jewels (being
there once entered by the King's officer) was carried from thence to the
King's Treasure House not far off, being a house very strongly built of
lime and alone, for the safe keeping thereof.

At our coming to the Governor's House we found the great door where the
mules do usually unlade, even then opened, a candle lighted upon the top
of the stairs; and a fair gennet ready saddled, either for the Governor
himself, or some other of his household to carry it after him. By means
of this light we saw a huge heap of silver in that nether [lower] room;
being a pile of bars of silver of, as near as we could guess, seventy
feet in length, of ten feet in breadth, and twelve feet in height, piled
up against the wall, each bar was between thirty-five and forty pounds
in weight.

At sight hereof, our Captain commanded straightly that none of us should
touch a bar of silver; but stand upon our weapons, because the town
was full of people, and there was in the King's Treasure House near the
water side, more gold and jewels than all our four pinnaces could
carry: which we should presently set some in hand to break open,
notwithstanding the Spaniards report the strength of it.

We were no sooner returned to our strength, but there was a report
brought by some of our men that our pinnaces were in danger to be
taken; and that if we ourselves got not aboard before day, we should be
oppressed with multitude both of soldiers and towns-people. This report
had his ground from one DIEGO a Negro, who, in the time of the first
conflict, came and called to our